Fluor-Built Pharmaceutical Facility in California is First Industrial Manufacturing Facility in Western United States to Achieve LEED v4 Platinum Certification

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Fluor-Built Pharmaceutical Facility in California is First Industrial Manufacturing Facility in Western United States to Achieve LEED v4 Platinum Certification

2025-05-19 19:19 Last Updated At：19:41

IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2025--

Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announced today that Bayer’s Cell Therapy Launch Facility in Berkeley, California, has been designated the first industrial manufacturing facility in the Western United States to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4 Platinum Certification. The project was also named the 2025 Facility of the Year for Social Impact - Unmet Medical Needs by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE).

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250519864245/en/

LEED v4 Platinum certification is the highest level of recognition for sustainable building practices and indicates that a building meets the highest standards for sustainability.

Fluor’s scope of work included the engineering, procurement, construction management, commissioning, qualification and validation for the 144,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility. It features 30,000 square feet of cleanroom space dedicated to advancing cell therapy production for neurological degenerative disorders, cardiovascular disease and other unmet medical needs.

"Fluor and Bayer collaborated to deliver Bayer's first fully electric pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, and we met an aggressive schedule to support client and patient needs," said Richard Meserole, President of Fluor’s Advanced Technologies & Life Sciences business. “Fluor secured LEED v4 Platinum Certification and ISPE Facility of the Year designation through effective collaboration with our trade partners, lean construction methods, and dedication to quality.”

Sustainability benefits for the facility include 52.6% energy cost savings via LED, high-efficiency lighting, heat pump and rooftop solar installation. The facility boasts 100% process water reduction, 98% onsite management of rainfall high efficiency plumbing fixtures, 65% recycled content installation, high use of sustainable materials, land use maximization and various innovation credits.

This is the second new facility built by Fluor on Bayer’s Biotech campus in Berkeley. Previously, Fluor completed construction of Bayer’s state-of-the-art Single Use Technology biopharmaceutical manufacturing Cell Culture Technology Center in 2021.

About Fluor Corporation:

Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) is building a better world by applying world-class expertise to solve its clients’ greatest challenges. Fluor’s nearly 27,000 employees provide professional and technical solutions that deliver safe, well-executed, capital-efficient projects to clients around the world. Fluor had revenue of $16.3 billion in 2024 and is ranked 265 among the Fortune 500 companies. With headquarters in Irving, Texas, Fluor has provided engineering, procurement and construction services for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.fluor.com or follow Fluor on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.

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Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.